Improvement in measuring and registering taps for barrels



W. S. LYNN. Measuring and Registering Tap for Barrelm No. 218,292.Patented Aug. 5,1879

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[NI/EN 701a Win M- A TTO R/VE Y N. PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER,WASHINGTON. n C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. LYNN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALFHIS RIGHT TO MICHAEL O. HIRSOH, ()F SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN MEASURING AND REGlSTERlNG TAPS FOR BARRELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,292, dated August5, 1e79, application filed March 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. LYNN, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Measuring and Registering Taps for Barrels,850., of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for drawing off aregulated portion of the contents of a cask, barrel, orotherliquidreceptacle at any desired intervals, and for recording andindicating the number of drafts or separate portions taken therefrom,the apparatus being specially designed for the purpose of preventingpeculations on the part of bar-keepers and other persons dispensing beerand similar liquors by the glass.

To these ends my improvements consist in the combination of a barrel orcylinder hav ing a capacity equal to that of the measure or portionrequired for each glass, supply and discharge valves opening into andout of said barrel, a piston and rod working in said bar rel, a devicefor alternately releasing and lock in g the supply-valve once at eachdraft by the movement of the piston, and a register connected with thepiston and serving to record the double stroke thereof required for eachdraft.

My improvements further consist in an improved clamp for connecting theapparatus to the cask or barrel, all as hereinafter more fully setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, ofa measuring and registering tap embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, alongitudinal central section of the same; Fig. 3, a front View, inelevation, of the same 5 Fig. 4, a transverse section of the bariel anddisehargepipe, Fig. 5, a view, in elevation, of the piston from therear; and Fig. 6, a view in perspective, showing the register and itsconnection with the piston-rod.

To carry out my invention I provide a cylindrical barrel, A, theinternal capacity of which is equal to the quantity of liquor requiredto be taken from the cask or other receptacle at each draft plus thecubical contents of the piston B. The piston B, which is properlypacked, so as to make a tight joint with the barrel A, is secured upon arod, 13 having a handle, B, by which it is operated upon its outer end.A supply-tube, A, is formed upon or secured to the inner head of thebarrel A, and a discharge-tube, A terminating in a nozzle, A is attachedto its lower side.

A supply-valve, a, is'hinged to the inner head, A*, of the barrel A,covering the mouth of the supplvtube A and is kept closed against thepressure of the liquid within the cask by a curved spur or projection,(0 on one end of a double-armed lever, a pivoted to the head A below thesupply-valve, the spur a being maintained in position against the valveby a spring, a and stop a on the head A*.

A spur, a curved in reverse direction to that of the spur a, is formedupon the opposite end of the lever a and a corresponding curved cam orincline, I), is formed upon the adjacent side of the piston B, oppositethereto, the position of which incline relatively to the spur a ismaintained by using a square piston-rod, or by any other means whichwill prevent the rotation of the piston within the barrel A.

The effect of this construction and relation of the parts described is,that when the piston B is forced inward to the extremity of itstraverse, the pressure of the incline 1) upon the spur a forces that endof the lever a upward and releases the supply-valve from its contactwith the spur a Upon the outward stroke of the piston the pressure ofthe liquid in the cask and the suction induced by the .movement of thepiston fill the barrel A with liquid, and the liquid is expelled at theinward stroke through the discharge-valve a which is held in position bya spring, a at its rear, into the discharge-tube A and out of the nozzleA. Upon the commencement of the inward stroke of the piston, the appliedpressure closes the supply-valve a, which rides over the curved surfaceof the spur a and upon passing said spur the spring a forces that end ofthe lever a upward and locks the supply-valve until released for thenext draft,

For the purpose of recording the number of drafts taken from the cask, Iattach to the front of the barrel A a register substantially similar tothat described and shown in Letters more than the other.

A notch or recess, 1), is formed in the piston-rod B within which restsa friction-roller, d, upon the lower arm of a bell-crank lever, d,pivoted to the register-case O A pawl-lever, d having a pawl on itsupper end, is pivoted to the upper arm of the lever d, and upon themovement of the roller d in the notch 11 in the direction of thesupply-valve, which movement takes place at the instant that the inclineon the piston commences to release said valve for the purpose of makinga draft of liquid from the cask, the pawl end of the lever (1? moves theratchetwheels 0 forward one tooth, and registers one draft upon thedial. The pawl-lever is pressed up to the ratchet-wheels by a spring, 01and is prevented from moving at each elevation of the roller d from thenotch b for a greater distance than will suffice to advance theratchet-wheels one tooth by a stop-pin, (1 secured to the register-case.A spring, 61 bearing against the lower end of the pawl-lever d maintainsthe roller d in contact with the piston-rod B Figs. 1 and 2 show adevice for attaching and securing the apparatus to a cask, consistin gof a wedge-shaped claw, E, having a screw, 0, projecting from one of itssides near its broad end, and which is driven into the stave of the caskadjacent to the opening in the head in to which the supply-tube A isinserted. A screw, 0 the thread of which leads in contrary direction tothat of the screw e, is hung upon a pin, 0 on the side of the tube A andthe screws are connected by a coupling-nut,

0 by the rotations of which nut the tap may be drawn up to and heldfirmly in connection with the claw E on the stave, with its supplytubein the bung-hole or opening in the head of the cask. If preferred, asimilar arrangement may be added on the opposite side of thesupply-tube.

In the operation of my improvements it will be seen that it isimpossible to draw more than one known measure of liquid at each doublestroke of the piston, and impossible to draw either the same or a lessquantity without at the same time efiecting a registration thereof.

I am aware that the application of a registering device to a tap orfaucet for recording the quantity of liquid passed through the same hasbeen heretofore known, and do not therefore, broadly, claim suchconstruction.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination of a cylinder or barrel provided with supply and dischargetubes and valves, a piston and rod working in said barrel, a pivotedlocking-lever and spring for holding the supply-valve closed, andareleasing cam or incline on the piston for opening purpose set forth.

WM. S. LYNN. Witnesses:

J. SNown N BELL, GEO. A. VAILLANT.

